


Losing It

by BlindManBaldwin



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-14
Updated: 2019-04-14
Packaged: 2020-01-13 07:59:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18464779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlindManBaldwin/pseuds/BlindManBaldwin
Summary: An old war veteran faces his mortality as the next generation struggles to deal with change.





	Losing It

Artoo got old.

 

He didn’t know how it happened, but it did. He didn’t like to face this truth, but it grew more apparent each day. He scooted around a little slower, his processor worked a bit slower than it used to be, his memory banks couldn’t store as much. He thought maybe six years in low-power mode would help rejuvenate him, but it didn’t. He was in no danger of being taken to scrap heap—he had a few tricks up his sleeve in case anyone tried—but he was a far cry from where he used to be. He wasn’t the young droid serving on the Naboo Royal Starship anymore. His shine had gone, his metal had lost its luster. The blue had faded from his surface and his white became a dusty gray. But throughout his entire existence he refused replacement parts and wasn't going to change now. He was him, and that’s good enough for Artoo. 

 

He used to travel the stars, going on daring mission after daring mission. He served in the Clone Wars alongside Anakin Skywalker fighting against an army of droids. Though, Artoo knew those droids weren’t evil, just being controlled by evil. He later fought alongside Anakin’s two kids with the Rebellion, fighting against the evil Empire. Artoo much preferred fighting against the flesh-and-blood stormtroopers instead of fellow droids, though he wondered if the troopers were controlled by someone else just like the droids. 

 

But now, in this new war? Artoo mostly just stayed behind. Sure, he went to go get Luke back, but beyond that he stayed behind and left all the dangerous stuff to the younger droids—even if he hated not being in the action. He only recently reawoken after his slumber, only after that girl showed up. That girl, he thinks she’s named Rey, reminds Artoo of someone he knew long ago. He traveled a few times with this girl and felt she would become a capable master one day. Though she still had a lot to learn. 

 

Artoo spent most of his time at the Resistance base with the Princess, just like the old days above the Tantive IV. He did some basic tasks for her, but he knew the new-fangled BB units remaining from the New Republic were quicker. Still, the Princess liked to keep him around for some reason. Maybe she was sentimental towards him? Artoo didn’t quite understand human emotions, but he was glad she always treated him like family. 

 

Artoo slowly scooted over to where his friend, Threepio, stood. Threepio still did some communication and protocol work for the Princess even though he, too, got old. The gold sheen had faded away years ago, the wear and tear of years of having new arms and legs substituted in and out had taken its toll. Despite undergoing numerous mind wipes over the year, he had kept a few memories from generations prior held within him. He started confusing names and faces—the other day Threepio started calling the girl, “Padme”. The Princess did not like that—Artoo never saw her so, how the humans say, scared before. 

 

Unlike Artoo, Threepio didn’t come from any fancy factory. His origins are far more humble—built out of scrap and spare parts in the harsh deserts of Tatooine. Though, these simple beginnings didn’t keep friend from being stuck-up and prideful. Artoo came from a literal castle and he was  _ far _ more humble than his friend. Despite his occasional frustration, Artoo thought the two of them did good work for their masters. 

 

“Booooowap,” He said. 

 

“What I’m doing?” Threepio answered. “Artoo, you know that the General tells me things in confidence. It simply isn’t protocol to reveal them to anyone who asks.”

 

“Bwwwap!” He barked.

 

“Well,” Threepio replied. “I suppose you're not just anyone. Ok fine, we’re getting a new droid arrival today. A donation of several D-series units has arrived courtesy of Lando Calrissian. A few are being kept around the base.”

 

“Boooop?” Artoo asked.

 

“D-series units? They are these tiny little droids, I do say I nearly stepped on one this morning. Oh, my ocular sensors aren’t what they used to be Artoo. The general says they’ll be able to help us with daily tasks and lighten the work of our few BB-units, so they can go out on missions more. But…”

 

“Bwaa?”

 

“Well, I don’t know how the BB-Units will handle it. You know how possessive you astromech types can be.”

 

“Bwwwwwwwwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!” Artoo screamed. A few of the Resistance crew at the base heard the scream and turned. They never heard a droid get so loud before. It appears Threepio struck a nerve. 

 

“Oh, don’t use those words around the General, Artoo,” He said. “And besides, you have to remember how you were when the BB-units first appeared?” Artoo didn’t want to acknowledge his friend’s words, so he left to go see how BB-8 was doing. 

 

Threepio wasn’t wrong, though. When the BB-units first appeared, it confused Artoo. He didn’t understand why they were so small, why they were so rolly, and why had so many gadgets and gizmos inside. He, and the other astromechs but mostly him, could still do any task the new government needed them to do. They didn’t need to be replaced by some fancy droid just because they were more compatible with the new X-Wings. It didn’t make sense to Artoo, he was still good enough. Wasn’t he?

 

Well, as usual, Luke helped him understand. Luke would never use a new X-Wing, so he had no use for a new droid. Artoo would always have a job with him. No one would take him to the scrap heap—Artoo already came dangerously close to that once before on Tatooine.

 

Still, Artoo wasn’t certain how the new BB-units would do in the field. They lacked the experience he had. What if their circuits didn’t operate properly in the field due to all the stress? Could their cooling systems perform in the heat of battle? Simulations and practices were nothing like the real thing. 

 

It took Artoo a few moments, but he arrived to where BB-8 and other droids were congregating. They were talking about the new arrivals. Whenever Artoo talked to BB-8 or other Rollies, their glow and newness amazed him. They could do tasks far quicker and more accurately than he ever could—even at his best. He knew relative to them he was obsolete. Their rollers were a far slicker way of moving around than his wheels. They could even separate their head from their bodies! That would’ve come in handy all those times he nearly met his end through the end of an Imperial blaster. 

 

“Booop,” Artoo pondered to BB-8. He wanted to know if the new droids weighed on BB-8’s processor.

 

“Bwwwwaaa,” He answered. He didn’t want to reveal weakness to the veteran. BB-8 heard tons of stories from Poe over the years about Artoo. BB-8 knew who the real hero of the Rebellion was.

 

“Beeeep!” Artoo knew when a droid was hiding something. He still had some holovids of his former master no one could ever see. 

 

“Boooooowwwwa…” BB-8 started, deciding there was no need to lie to Artoo. BB-8 exchanged only brief words with Artoo before—only basic pleasantries and information. He felt unworthy to communicate with such a legend. The highlight of his existence was piecing together the map to Skywalker with Artoo.

 

“Beeeaaa,” Artoo answered. He knew BB-8 would eventually tell the truth. He thought it was a tad funny how the droid he thought would replace him now thought he’d be replaced. He decided to tell a story to the droid.

 

“Boooooooaaaa,” He started. “Beeeeep, boop. Bwwwwwaaaah! Boooooop…..baaaaaee!”

 

“Boooooeaa?” BB-8 replied. He never knew Artoo once thought the BB-units would replace him and he’d end up in the scrap heap. “Beeeep! Boooop!” 

 

“Bwwwwaaah!” Artoo didn’t like the talk coming from BB-8. He thought that there was no way Artoo would end up on the scrap heap for he had proven his worth. Whereas he, BB-8, had never shown his value. Artoo had to remind him of all he’s done for the Resistance so far. 

 

“Booooea?” BB-8 never knew Artoo kept records of all he had done and all his mission logs. He never knew a droid to be such a data hoard before. 

 

“Beeeep!” In relaying the information, Artoo started to realize how much BB-8 had done. Maybe the Resistance was in capable hands with his new BB-units after all.

 

Near the end of their conversation, an unfamiliar chime rang in their auditory sensors.

 

“Deeeedeeele!” A little green thing said. Artoo didn’t understand this method of communication.

 

“Booop…” He whispered to BB-8. He wondered if the new droid with his new dialect-recognition chips would be familiar with this language. 

 

“Bweeeea,” He answered. BB-8 did recognize this communication type thanks to a recently installed update. The droid, which called itself D-0, said hello. It was one of the new D-Series units. BB-8 decided to be friendly to the droid and make the first move. “Beeeep!” BB-8 greeted the new droid.

 

“Ddoooodeleaa,” She answered. Turning her cone shaped head around, she saw Artoo—the living legend among droids all over the galaxy. “Doooooooodaa????”

 

“Beep,” Artoo answered. He wanted to show some humility to the new droid while also learning more about what they did. “Boooa?”

 

“Dooodeee, daaadooo, dedelelee,” She, and the other D-series units, specialized in espionage work as well as long-distance communication. She could patch into commlinks light years away. 

 

Before Artoo could inquire more about how this process worked—he always liked to stay in the loop about the latest droid innovations—BB-8 interrupted them. 

 

“Booooowaa!” BB-8 wanted to know if the D-units were at all compatible with X-Wings. 

 

“Doooda?” The droid appeared to almost laugh. “Doododa!” They couldn’t fit in the compartments and had no knowledge about space flight or ship systems. They’d be as useful as Threepio in a ship. 

 

“BB-8!” A familiar voice said. It was Poe. “I see you met the new droids, this is D-0. She and her friends are going to help us in our fight against the First Order.” Poe saw the droids all around looking at the new units. 

“BB-8, are you thinking I’d replace you?” He asked. “Ah, there’s no way I’d trust any other droid with you. Those few months I spent with CB-23 were very tough! I’m glad to have you back and I’ll never get rid of you.”

 

Artoo felt his batteries depleting again, so he started back towards his charging station. Seeing Poe interact with BB-8 always reminded him of Luke. Droids didn’t have emotions, but Artoo swore he felt sadness at the loss of his old friend. Though, the sight of the next generation being kind to droids and treating them as equals made this sadness go away.

 

Rolling away, Artoo looked back once more at Poe and BB-8. The future would be alright after all.

  
  



End file.
